Raymond "Junior" Reyes, 60, died Tuesday (Nov. 8, 2016) at St. Francis Hospital in Wichita.
He was born June 15, 1956, in Wellington, to Ramon Reyes and Mary Perez. He was a graduate of Wellington High School in Wellington and NEO A&M Jr. College of Miami, Oklahoma. Ray retired from the Santa Fe Railroad on Sept. 15, 2016. Ray began his career with the railroad as a brakeman/switchman on May 23, 1976. Ray was a member of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Newton.
Ray loved to travel. Two of his favorite destinations were Colorado and Mexico, and he liked to take his father to annual military conventions. Ray had a love for maps and destinations and enjoyed using "old fashioned" maps to navigate his travels. Ray also enjoyed sports, especially volleyball, softball and basketball. He loved following his Kansas City Chiefs. Ray could often be found at the Newton Rec Center, where he worked out, exercised and made many friends throughout the years. Ray's greatest joy in life, however, was being a family man. Junior took excellent care of his family and extended family and was known as the backbone of the family. He especially enjoyed spoiling his nieces, nephews and cousins, among the many other close and extended members of the family. He will be greatly missed by his loving family and many friends.
Ray is survived by his parents Ramon Reyes of Wellington and Mary Perez of Wichita; and his siblings: Flo (Stephen) Ybarra of Wellington, Cecilia (Rob) Burk of Wichita, Rosaline Epsteen of Champaign, Illinois, Jacqueline (Antonio) Paz-Flores of Wichita and Andy (Jennifer) Reyes of Wichita. Ray is also survived by several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, great-great nieces and great-great nephews, God-children and many cousins.
Visitation will be 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Friday (Nov. 11, 2016) at Petersen Funeral Home and the casket will be open at St. Mary's Church from 5:00 p.m. until Rosary time. Recitation of the Holy Rosary will be 6:00 p.m. Friday (Nov. 11, 2016) at St. Mary's Catholic Church. Funeral Mass will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday (Nov. 12, 2016) at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Newton, with The Reverend Edmund Kline presiding. Burial will be in the St. Mary's Cemetery in Newton. Memorials are suggested to Our Lady of Guadalupe Building Fund, in care of Petersen Funeral Home.
